Michael Carmine

Michael Carmine (March 6, 1959 – October 14, 1989) was an American actor. Carmine was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn. He graduated from the High School of the Performing Arts at the age of sixteen, and went on to study his craft at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. He made his first appearance before the cameras as an extra in Rollercoaster and received his first speaking part on Hill Street Blues playing Ramos, which became a recurring role. A small part in Brian De Palma's Scarface was followed by the role of Snake in Michael Mann's television series Miami Vice, which led to his first major role in Mann's Band of the Hand, directed by Paul Michael Glaser. He appeared on stage and received praise for his work in Reinaldo Povod's play Cuba and His Teddy Bear on and off Broadway and also played Papo in Povod's La Puta Vida.He was also known for starring in the 1987 film Batteries Not Included alongside veteran actors Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. In the movie, Carmine played a thug who was out to rid the residents of an apartment building scheduled to be demolished. He encountered space ships, who would rebuild the apartment home. During one scene of the movie, he rescues Tandy's character from certain death as the building was set on fire by an arsonist. Aside from 'Batteries Not Included, he also starred in the 1989 movie Leviathan, starring alongside Ernie Hudson, Peter Weller, and Daniel Stern. Carmine died of AIDS-related illness on October 14, 1989 at age 30.